TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 201 



caught among javelines, even on 

 horseback; but something had to 

 be done, and the sooner the better. 

 In accordance with our plan, 

 Wess rode around on the far side 

 of the clearing, and approached 

 cautiously toward the tree from 

 almost opposite from where I was, 

 and when within about 15 yards 

 of the nearest peccary, he put the 

 spurs to his horse and galloped al- 

 most directly into their midst, and 

 then he suddenh^ wheeled his 

 horse to the right, firing three 

 shots from his aiitomatic pistol as 

 he did so, and succeeded in 



result that I came very near going 

 on toward the tree when the hors(» 

 suddenly stopped, and try as I 

 would, I could not get the beast 

 any nearer to the dead animal than 

 about 20 feet. I knew it was not 

 safe for John to attempt to get 

 the horse that far away; so has- 

 tily uncoiling my lariat, I had 

 just succeeded in running a noose 

 in it v/hen the first of the return- 

 ing peccaries arrived on the 

 scene ; but I made a cast at the 

 dead body as my horse started to 

 leave, and, by a lucky chance, 

 the noose tightened around the 



Another View of a Javelin Hog 



wounding one of the beasts, and 

 the rest of them immediately gave 

 hot pursuit. Knowing that they 

 would not follow his horse far, I 

 did not lose any time watching, 

 but immediately galloped up un- 

 der the tree to assist John dov/n. 

 when the unexpected happened. 

 One of the javelines which had 

 been shot was lying directly un- 

 der the tree, and my horse dis- 

 covered it befort I did, with the 



body, and, giving the rope a half- 

 hitch around the saddle horn, I 

 settled down in the saddle for the 

 impact when the slack was all 

 taken up, and I didn't have long 

 to wait, for the horse, thoroughly 

 frightened, was leaving the clear- 

 ing in record breaking style, and 

 I think the dead javelin must 

 have been jerked about half-way 

 across the clearing the first 

 jump. The javelines luckily did 



